After having a discussion with a friend of mine this week (wink wink, you know who you are, girl!) I had to state my opinion on the issue.
Basically, I'm against it. Not because I think poor people should die, or because I'm uncaring. I have two major reasons:
1) I believe I should be in charge of my health care, not the government.
2) Medicare and Medicaid are already a mess. Those are both examples of socialized medicine. If the government can't handle those smaller versions of socialized medicine, how do we the people expect them to handle the entire country?
I'm the mother of a child with a disability. Would the government be allowed to deny my child treatment because he's not worthy? Because he's not a minority group? What about my daughter? Would she be forced to take a vaccine like Gardasil even though it has killed 47 other women and girls? All because the CDC recommends the vaccine? And hello...look at me. I'M FAT. Would I be denied life saving measures unless I lose weight? Until I fit in the demands of their perfect box? Do all 5 foot 6 women have to weigh under 155lbs in order to obtain proper medical care?
And on a purely selfish level: if socialized medicine becomes law, I will likely lose my job. My job is to call insurance companies to obtain authorizations for procedures and tests. If there is no insurance, there is no Sarah calling insurance companies. And my husband, who owns his own business, will likely be taxed to the point where he will likely lose everything he has worked so hard for.
But hey. We might be homeless, but at least we can go to the doctor, right?
Your thoughts? Be polite, please. I'm less about debating, more about learning.
4 comments:
I think all the Canadians that are coming to the US for necessary medical procedures are proof this will never work.
It makes me sick to think about the government deciding the fate of my loved ones, who need medical help. (We have a disease in our family that is ultimately terminal). You're right to be concerned about treatment being rationed based on who's got the best chance. I'd rather that rationing be based on cost (as it is now), because we can always participate in fundraising and charity to get the necessary treatment and help out others. What do you do when the government says no, because they don't think your life it worth it?
You have a really awesome point, Kara. One that I agree with. Disclosure here, but my stepfather is from England. As a healthy man, he didn't have too many issues with it. And when we traveled to England in my teens, my sister got an ear infection and was able to be treated, no cost to us. That was nice...I admit it! But for those of us who deal with chronic health issues (I have high blood pressure, I have a son with autism) what would my cut off be? Is there a lifetime maximum benefit on how much the goverment would spend per person?
For example, my health insurance has a $2 million dollar limit on each person in my family. Once your health care costs hit $2 million, you're done. No more coverage. Some insurances have unlimited lifetime maximums. I'm curious what our government will set ours at.
I added this to my Delicious Links: Common sense like this doesn't require a lot of words, does it?
You linked me! Ahhhh, I feel special!
I'd love to hear from people who are pro-socialized medicine. I really do understand why the idea is so appealing.
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